I want to remember these times......

 Some days you just fill your mind with an abundance of memories that you never want to forget. Memories that will make you smile years from now - the blessings of a full life. Today was one of those days.

We got our new golden retriever puppy a few weeks ago.  And YES, it is like having a new born baby - both the good and the bad! We are finally adjusting to all the changes so we had the kids over for a Friday night sleepover.  First, let me introduce "Puzzle."  She is our new baby.  Jim has wanted a golden retriever dog for YEARS.  I mean, like since we married 20 years ago. I never wanted a dog that sheds.  He wouldn't consider the doodle type dogs so I finally caved when a friend of a friend had full bred golden puppies available.

She is named after Puzzle, the Golden Retriever search and rescue dog belonging to and working with Susannah Charleson.  She has written three books so far of her adventures with her dogs and her search and rescue work. Great books, if you love animals you should read them.

We haven't had our regular every-other-friday-night-sleepovers with the kids since we got her and then me having covid. We missed them badly. We want them to love Puzzle and learn how to help care for her and play with her.  So they were here last night and today.  They did so great with her! It was so good to have their happy little faces here to fill our home with love and laughter ❤️ So after our traditional breakfast of pancakes, we played with the pup, helping her learn tricks, then they played games on the iPads for a bit (they don't have them at home, so it's a treat when they come to our house), and we did a little road trip with Puzzle to a couple of pet stores.  Our road trip included letting Papaw and Puzzle hang out in a grassy, shady area while me and at the kids had lunch at our favorite place, Pizza Inn.   After picking out a harness, some bones, and a personalized dog tag, we headed home, as we talked, laughed, and listened to Israel K's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, all the while loving on and playing with Puzzle between the two kids in the back seat of the truck.

I'll throw this picture in too, below.  The last sleepover involved a movie with 3D glasses and another trip to Pizza Inn.  This was BP, or before Puzzle. We had a great time with the grands this night too. (by the way, we did not see the Top Flight movie, but a Minions movie - 😊)

When we got back home, and they tired of the iPad games, there was a wrestling matching with Papaw in the big bed. Lots of giggling, wrestling, jumping and laughter. Such great memories.  Then they wanted to mess up Papaw's hair...so the little hands were all in his hair making it a mess - he loved it.  Puzzle was jumping and wanting into the action, while Mamaw was trying hard not to be constantly saying, "don't jump on the bed!  Be careful! Someone's going to fall!"😊

Later we all loaded up again and drove to the little marina close to our home, for ice cream.  Yummy on such a hot day.

We are going to miss these days so bad when the kids grow up, or when they move, which with my son's job seems very likely. So we are soaking them up as best as we can. I'm not very eloquent in my writing but I wanted to capture these memories today in my blog, which I will print as a book at some point. Something I do usually every couple of years.  When I'm old, I want to read about these wonderful, fun, happy, days.

I guess since this blog is supposed to be mainly about my quilting, I'll add this picture of my last project.  This is another 'mola' type design where you layer some colorful fabric between the top layer and the batting, then cut pieces of it away to reveal the fabric underneath.  My friend wanted one to put on her porch and I wanted to make another as some practice on my new machine.  She was very happy with it.